Currently, products are available which permit a user of a computer to search an on-line telephone directory for the telephone number of a specific person or company. Some of these products incorporate a stepwise search technique. Typically, this technique requires the user to use a keyboard to type the letters of the name of the person or company whose telephone number is desired. As each successive letter is typed, the name matching the typed letters is displayed on the screen.
While these products make it possible for the user to find the desired telephone number, they have significant disadvantages. First, the user is required to use a keyboard to define the search parameters. Users who are less adept with the layout of a keyboard will be less efficient than users who are more familiar with the layout of a keyboard. Second, the user is required to search only by name. If, for example, the user does not know the name of a company but knows other information such as the first digit of the phone number or the line of business of the company, locating the telephone number of the company using conventional methods would prove nearly impossible.
A need therefore exists for a product which addresses the shortcomings of the products presently available. A need exists for a product which provides the user an alternative way to define the search parameters without requiring the use of a keyboard. Furthermore, a need exists for a method and system which allows the user to constrain the search other than by name alone.